We’ve all been there. Well, I have, anyway, several times…

Social media has changed how we do relationships. In the past, if you wanted to find out more about the person you were dating or interested in dating, you’d have to go to mutual friends to get the behind-the-scenes dirt. Today, it’s easy enough to troll their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to see how they behave online and what kinds of things they post about.

In the past, an public declaration of “being in a relationship” was wearing your boyfriend’s jacket or maybe a piece of jewellery he gave you, like a pin or a ring. Today, relationships all happen on Facebook–I’ve attended weddings where, after the bride and groom were pronounced “husband and wife,” they took a break to update their Facebook status to “married.”

Social media is supposedly responsible for breakups, too. Reportedly, 1 in 5 divorces is blamed on Facebook.

Managing relationships after a breakup can be a minefield. Change your relationship status, and you’ll get a flurry of questions and sympathy. And then, how do you manage the relationship with your ex? Do you stay friends? Or do you unfriend and block them?

For me, I’m a fan of unfriending. I do this for my own peace of mind. If I’m getting over someone, I don’t need to see them partying and having fun, and potentially meeting other people.

Well, Facebook has now created some help for post-breakup blues, and some structure to help you deal and get over it.

From a post on Facebook’s blog:

Starting today, we are testing tools to help people manage how they interact with their former partners on Facebook after a relationship has ended. When people change their relationship status to indicate they are no longer in a relationship, they will be prompted to try these tools.

Here’s how Facebook is making your breakup less painful:

• Seeing less of your former partner in your newsfeed
• Restricting your ex from seeing posts about you in their newsfeed
• Untagging yourself from photos that included the two of you together

Interesting, right?

How have you managed your social media in the face of a breakup? Let me know in the comments below.

Related post: Social Media and its Affect on Relationships